Apparatus for treating articles



Marchzz, 1960 L. G. SIMJIAN APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Filed July 11, 1958 m IT m m m a A m W4 A747 A m m m A w a W m v WV 0 V v r 1 m l A E 2 A w H 2 5 1 W T 2 4 g G m a M m m m. H 9 E F F 2 3 Y 9 B w/ 47 a a a n m. m I 6 APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES Luther G. Simjian, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to Reflectone Electronics, Inc., Stamford, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application July 11, 1958, Serial No. 748,072

Claims. c1. 17-2s This application is a continuation-in-part of copend" ing application for U.S. Letters Patent Serial No. 667,081, filed June 21, 1957, now Patent 2,902,712, issued September 8, 1959. It also is related to application for US. Letters Patent Serial No. 569,124, filed March 2, 1956 now US. Patent 2,806,246, issued September 17, 1957 with which the application of which this is a continuation-in-part was copending.

This invention in general relates to an apparatus for treating articles and in particular, has reference to an apparatus for treating normally deformable articles by the application of shock waves or vibratory energy. The invention has specific reference to the treating of articles of food, for instance meat, to effect tenderization by breaking and loosening the tough fibers within the article. In order to effect the result desired, the normally deformable article is first rendered substantially rigid, for instance by freezing, and then subjected to vibratory energy while being maintained in the substantially rigid state. In this manner the energy will penetrate the article and provide effective treatment.

It is well known that the toughness found in many cuts of meat for instance, is due to dense fibers which are present in the meat and which are not easily acted upon by the application of heat. It is also well known that certain types vegetables or fruit are somewhat indigestible because of numerous tough fibers which are always present in certain varieties. Meat may be tenderized by excessive mechanical manipulation by pounding with a hammer or other blunt objects. This method is not entirely successful and has the disadavantage of distorting the meat and squeezing out many of the meat juices. The present invention employs sonic energy derived from fluid flow to stress and break the tough fibers in the article to be treated while the article is in a rigid state. Under these conditions the shape of the article is not changed and none of its internal liquids are lost.

Throughout the specification and claims the term coupling is defined as any mechanical or fluid transmitting means which transfers vibrating energy from a resonating transducer to the article under treatment.

One of the objects of this invent-ion is to provide an improved apparatus for treating articles of food which avoids one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of prior art arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure for tenderizing food which is convenientand can be operated by inexperienced personnel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a food tenderizer which is operated by fluid pressure.

Another object of the inventionv is to provide an apparatus for tenderizing food in which vibratory, or sonic. energy is derived as. the result of fluid flow.

'Another object of the invention is to tenderize food. while the food is in a frozen state, thereby eliminating the possibility of foodspoilage.

One feature of the invention includes a means for 2,929,098 PatentedfM-ar. 22, 1960.

' generating acoustic energy in response to fluid flow,

this means being coupled. to a cavity resonator which receives and reinforces the acoustic energy. The article is supported in communication with the resonator and receives acoustic energy from it.

Another feature of the invention includes an acoustic resonator having the frozen article offood as one of the walls, thereof.

Still another feature of the invention comprises a multiple applicator including a plurality of resonant chambers, each of these resonant chambers being coupled to afrozen article of food by an acoustic transformer.

A further feature of the invention comprises the gen eration of high amplitude shock waves and applying these shock waves to the article to be treated,

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further features and objects thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the, accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross, sectional view of a cavity resonator with an article to be treated held against one of its walls;

Figure 2 is a top view of the resonator shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a cavity resonator with the article to he tenderized forming one of the walls of the resonator;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the resonator shown in Figure 3 taken along line 44 of that figure;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a multiple resonator, each of said resonators coupledto an acoustic transformer;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 5 takenalong line 6-6 of that figure, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view of an apparatus employing hydrodynamic valve action to produce high amplitude sonic vibraions.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a cavity resonator 10 is shown which includes an opening 11 with one side thereof formed in theshape of a sharp edge'12. At the other side of the opening 11 is anorifice 13 comprising the end of a pipe 14. which is connected to a source of gasv under pressure. The resonator includes cylindrical sidewalls and a bottom portion 15 which may be formed with a constricted edge 16 in order to permit vertical vibratory movement.

Article 17 rigidified by freezing for instance is placed in contact with bottom portion 15 as shown and the entire apparatus is supported by a heavy block of metal 18' which forms a base and has suflicient weight and inertia to restrict any vibrational movement which otherwise might be transmitted to it.

In order to tenderi-ze the article of food 17 compressed gas, such as compressed air or steam under pressure, is forced through pipe 14 and, upon emerging and being split by edge 12, is broken into sound vibrations which travel into the resonant cavity 10 and, because of the reflection at portion 15, are reinforced and thereby Pro-1 duce a sustained acoustic wave of considerable intensity. The acoustic wave at opening 11 has substantiallygzero pressure but maximum amplitude, while the wave in contact with end portion 15 has maximum pressure but an amplitude which is restricted to the motion of the end portion. Since the end portion 15 is arranged for a small vibratory motion, the maximum pressure within the cavity will be translated into a small amount of vibratory motion and this energy will be communicated to the article of frozen food 17 and tenderize it by density.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, a cavity resonator I is shown which is similar to the resonator in Figure 1 and 2. This resonator is excited by a stream of compressed air which flows through pipe 21 and emerges at {orifice 22 striking edge 23 which forms the vibrations to be reinforced by the resonant cavity. The action of the cavity formed by cylinder 20 is the same as thatexplained above in connection with cavity 10 but in this case the bottom portion of the cavity is formed by the article of food 17 which receives the reinforced sound waves at maximum pressure. As before, theartiele 17 is supported by a metallic block 18.

The apparatus shown in Figures and 6 comprises a series of many resonant cavities 26 formed in a unitary assembly and arranged to be actuated by a single conduit or pipe 27 which is connected to a source of compressed gas. The compressed gas flows through orifices 28 and I is broken up in the usual manner by edges 30. The excess gas is admitted to the atmosphere by pipes 31. It has been found that multiple chambers arranged in this manner will generate vibratory acoustic energy-having the same frequency and in the same phase, this vibratory energy exerting its maximum pressure at bottom. portions 32 of the cavities. It should be understood that the bottom portions of this multiple resonator may be constructed in a manner similar to portion 15 in Figure 1 or the bottom portions may be eliminated and the acoustic energy be applied directly to the article 17 as shown in Figure 3. However, an alternate means of coupling is shown in Figure 5 which includes acoustic transformers 33. These transformers are metallic cones which have an exterior base area considerably smaller than the area which is in communication with the resonant chamber 26. Because of the change in area, the cones 33 transmit an increased pressure to whatever article is placed against their lower ends, this apparatus thereby delivering considerably greater pressure to a smaller area.

The apparatus shown in Figures 5 and 6 is applied to an article of food, the gas pressure is turned on, and after a predetermined time interval the article or'the apparatus is shifted so that other areas may be treated. While this apparatus necessitates as many as four or nine application positions, it has the advantage of producing intense vibrational energy which may be necessary to completely break up dense portions in the article.

In the foregoing drawings only one form of sound generating device has been shown. It is well known that a vibrating reed may be used in connection with resonant cavities to generate sound energy and such an alternate arrangement may be used in the structures described above.

Instead of gas flow, liquid flow may be used to produce sonic oscillations as shown for example in Figure 7.

A pump 50 pumps liquid via conduit 51 into a pressure release vessel 52. From there the liquid flows through a quarter-wave length pipe section 53 toward a valve which comprises plate 55 and valve seat 54, the plate being resiliently held in place by a diaphragm 59 retained between a set of clamping rings 58. Plate 55 carries a push rod 56 which terminates at the other end in a plate 57. Rod 56 and plate 57 may be considered a plunger which transfers vibratory energy by reciprocating motion.

Article 61 to be treated is disposed in a stationary tank 60 filled with a liquid 62 acting as the coupling means be tween the plunger and the article. To achieve good results,

article 61 is rendered rigid, for instance, by freezing or by dehydrating. When the article is frozen liquid 62 preferably is a brine, glycerine, or similar liquid maintained at a temperature below zero centigrade.

When pump 50 pumps liquid toward the valve, the dynamic unbalance between the feeder pipe 51, pressurerelease vessel 52 and one-quarter wave length pipe 53 causes the valve to chatter as experienced for instance: in home water systems when water-hammer" occurs- 4 construction which slides back and forth through the tank enclosure to the liquid 62 from where the oscillations are applied to article 61.

In this manner, liquid flow is used to generate sonic oscillations which are applied to articles. Obviously, shown in Figures 1 through 6, liquid 62 may be omitted and article 61 coupled directly to plate 57 to receive vibrations therefrom without-deviating from the principle described. 'Moreover, the article to be treated may be disposed directly in the liquid which receives shock waves by virtue of the oscillating valve member. In this manner the separate liquid tank may be eliminated. Other sonic oscillators producing vibratory energy as a result of fluid flow may be inspected for instance by reference to Sonics (book) by T. F. Hueter et 211., John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, NY. (1955).

While there have been described and illustrated certain embodiments of the present invention using fluid flow to produce shock waves and acoustic oscillations, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other modifications and changes may be made in the instant invention without departing from the intent of the invention which shall be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p p

1. An apparatus for treating a normally deformable article which has been rendered substantially rigid comprising: a fluid circuit which includes the series connection of a pump, a pressure release vessel, and a pipe for establishing forced fluid circulation between said pump and vessel; a valve seat disposed in a portion of said pipe; a valve plate adapted to coact with the valve seat and said circuit being constructed to cause the valve plate to as cillate relative to the valve seat when the pump pumps fluid through the circuit; a second vessel including a fluid therein; the second vessel and fluid therein being adapted to receive the-substantially rigid article for treata ment while the article is in contact with the fluid within the second vessel; means coupled to said valve plate and in contact with the second vessel to effect transfer of the oscillations of the valve plate to the second vessel to cause the article therein to be treated by vibratory energy.

2. An apparatus for treating a normally deformable article which has been rendered substantially rigid comprising: a fluid circuit which includes the series connectionpf a pump, a pressure release vessel, and a pipe for establishing forced fluid circulation between said pump and vessel; a valve seat disposed in a portion of said pipe; a resiliently mounted valve plate adapted to coact with the valve seat and said circuit being constructed to cause the valve plate to oscillate relative to the valve seat when the pump pumps fluid through the circuit; a second vessel including a fluid therein; the second vessel and fluid therein being'adapted to receive the substantially rigid article for treatment while the article is'in contact with the fluid Withinthesecond vessel; means coupled to said valve 7 plate and in contact with the fluid in the second vessel to effect transfer of the oscillations of the valve plate to the second vessel to cause the article therein to be treated by vibratory energy.

3. An apparatus for treating a normally deformable article which has been rendered substantially rigid comprisingi a hydraulic circuit which includes the series connection of a pump, a pressure release vessel, and a pipe for establishing forced liquid circulation between said pump and vessel; a valve seat disposed in a portion of said pipe; a valve plate adapted to coact with the valve seat and said circuit being constructed to cause the valve plate to oscillate relative to the valve seat when the pump pumps liquid through the circuit; a second vessel including a liquid therein; the second vessel and liquid therein being adapted to receive the substantially rigid article for treatment while the article is incontact with the liquid within the second vessel; means coupled to said valve plate and in contact with the second vessel to eifect The oscillations of plate 55 are transmitted via the plunger; transfer of the oscillations of the valve plate to the second vessel to cause the article therein to be treated by vibratory energy.

4. An apparatus for treating a normally deformable article which has been rendered substantially rigid comprising: a hydraulic circuit which includes the series connection of a pump, a pressure release vessel, and a pipe for establishing forced liquid circulation between said pump and vessel; a valve seat disposed in a portion of said pipe; a resiliently mounted valve plate adapted to coact with the valve seat and said circuit being constructed to cause the valve plate to oscillate relative to the valve seat when the pump pumps liquid through the circuit; a second vessel including a liquid therein; the second vessel and liquid therein being adapted to receive the substantially rigid article for treatment while the article is in contact With the liquid within the second vessel; means coupled to said valve plate and in contact with the liquid in the second vessel to effect transfer of the oscillations of the valve plate to the second vessel and liquid therein to cause the article to be treated by vibratory energy.

5. An apparatus for treating a normally deformable article which has been rendered substantially rigid com- 6 prising: a hydraulic circuit which includes the series connection of a pump, a pressure release vessel, and a pipe for establishing forced liquid circulation between said pump and vessel; a valve seat disposed in a portion of said pipe; a valve plate adapted to enact with the valve seat and said circuit being constructed to cause the valve plate to oscillate relative to the valve seat when the pump pumps liquid through the circuit; a second vessel including a liquid therein; the second vessel and liquid therein being adapted to receive the substantially rigid article for treatment while the article is in contact with the liquid within the second vessel; reciprocating plunger means coupled to said valve plate and in contact with the liquid in the second vessel to effect transfer of the oscillations of the valve plate to the second vessel and liquid therein to cause the article to be treated by vibratory energy.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

